James did not find his entry into the music industry to be particularly easy, neither of his parents expected him to make a success of himself as a musician. However thanks to the continued support of Warner Bros executive Danny Davenport in 1996 the young songwriter began recording demos that were passed on to other important names within the record label. Thanks to Davenport's encouragement Tritt signed a contract in 1997 to record six songs with the label.
He proved Warner Bros. was right to take a chance on the young musician as his first three singles were all huge Country chart hits. 'Help Me Hold On', his second release scored Tritt his first number one, he has scored four more number ones over his career and a huge selection of top five hits. He has also topped the Canadian Country charts six times and his releases were equally successful there.
After the success of his first album, the single 'The Whiskey Ain't Working' from his second album won the musician his first Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. In 1999 he won again in the same category for the single 'Same Old Train' which featured Marty Stuart and a variety of other musicians. The majority of his albums now hold a platinum selling certificate and he has sold millions worldwide and has won four Country Music Association awards.
I was lucky enough to get to tickets to see Travis Tritt at a place called the Don Gibson Theater in a little town west of Charlotte named Shelby NC.
Don Gibson was a famous songwriter from Shelby and the theater is a tribute to him. The place is very well done. The interior is mix of art deco and 1950’s design. The place is laid out great. There is a bar and separate lounge area and then the stage and seating are on another side. The place only holds 400 people so you really get an intimate experience.
Travis was great in this setting. I felt like I was sitting in his living room . His voice sounded great and the band he had was very talented. They did a lot of slower songs. They also did all of his radio hits which really got the crowd going. He also did some versions of Don Gibson songs as a tribute to the person that the venue was named after. He played for a long time and really left everyone in awe of his vast musical knowledge. For a person that started out as “pop” country, he has really redefined himself as traditional and a top notched musician.
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